Curriculum
At ARC-EN-CIEL Day Care Center and Montessori School, our curriculum is designed with enough flexibility to allow for individual growth. It is structured to nurture a full range of developing skills and interests, and to encourage creativity, curiosity, and security within the child, making it possible for each child to discover the world around him or her.
At ARC-EN-CIEL Day Care Center and Montessori School, the classrooms are uniquely designed for the children, with a focus on aesthetics, functionality and space. A child's work space is clearly defined, either by a table or a rug. Children are taught from day one to respect other people's work space. There are no teacher’s desks, and the furniture is child-sized. Our classrooms comprise of four areas:
- Language
- Math
- Practical
- Sensorial
Our classrooms also include ways for the children to interact with the real world through activities such as a small garden where children can plant flowers or vegetables.
At ARC-EN-CIEL Day Care Center and Montessori School, every activity has its own place in the classroom. The materials we use are specific in design, and are focused on a single skill, concept, or exercise. Some materials are often constructed by the teachers such as a story board, the letter boxes (a small container of items that start with the same letter) for the language area, science materials, scent or taste activities, etc. All of our activities are neat, clean, attractive, and are made of natural materials such as glass or wood, rather than plastic. We provide sponges, brooms, and dustpans, and any accidents (broken equipment, etc) are not punished but rather treated as an opportunity for the children to demonstrate responsibility by cleaning up after themselves.
Each activity leads directly to a new level of learning or concept. When a child actively learns, that child acquires the basis for later concepts. Repetition of activities is considered an integral part of this learning process, and children are allowed to repeat activities as often as they wish. If a child expresses boredom on account of this repetition, then the child is considered to be ready for the next level of learning. The duty of our teachers is to observe each child and provide correspondingly appropriate lessons when the child is fully ready. When a child reaches a new level the teacher directly demonstrates to the child the proper use of the new activity. Then the child may use it as desired, and may proceed at his or her own pace from concrete objects and tactile experiences to abstract thinking, writing, reading, science, and mathematic.
The following developmental areas are the daily activities each age group will participate in order to enhance their skills:
|
|